One of Jennifer Ditchburn’s three National Newspaper Awards was earned alongside her colleague Heather Scoffield at The Canadian Press. They diligently covered the elimination of Canada’s long-form census by the Conservative Party in 2010 and were the first to break news of it.
The online magazine is affiliated with the Institute for Research on Public Policy, an independent national think tank. Policy Options reports on the issues that policy makers at all levels are talking about — or should be.
“There are so many things that our decision makers are grappling with,” says Ditchburn.
“It’s really exciting because it can span anything from artificial intelligence to healthcare for the aging population. I’m trying to feed that debate by bringing writers in to cover different policy issues and to look at things from many angles,” she says.
More than just feeding major policy discussions, Ditchburn gives them a balanced diet of Canadian perspectives. “I’m seeking to expand the diversity of voices that are in our pages,” she adds.
“There should be, for example, many more indigenous voices that are heard — not only on indigenous issues but on all Canadian policy issues.”
Lasting in print
“My work for both books was partially drawn from my master’s thesis,” says Jennifer Ditchburn of the two recent volumes she contributed to, Sharp Wits and Busy Pens and The Harper Factor.
The Harper Factor, co-edited by Jennifer Ditchburn, will be published October 19.